The Seer
by Lady Obsess A Lot
Summary: The name echoed off the emptiness of Shaye's subconscious, she couldn’t forget it, that silver thread of information. Shaye was amazed by its random appearance and maybe that’s why she couldn’t wake up from her eternal darkness for three days.
1. Chapter 1

The grass bit at the bare feet of the girl faery. Clothed in purple and silver robes, the mark of her station in the Unseelie Court, she stood in the center of a ring of Courtiers. Violet hair spilled from her drawn hood that shadowed her face. The girl approached her King and his consort, a Pixie named Kaye, with a bowed head, as the newly appointed Seer of the Court she would be required to cast a vision for her sovereign. She sent up a prayer to her ancestors that she would be able to see for him, this particular method of casting was unreliable and improper casting could get her exiled from the court at the very least. And although she knew little of the politics between the Seelie and Unseelie courts she knew that this King Roiben was a kind and fair. The Seer peered from beneath her bangs toward the vast heavens.

The stars twinkled on the eve of Beltane as a silent encouragement to the young girl faerie. She breathed deeply the scent of the already roaring fire. The girl faced His Majesty with a set jaw, she curtsied low and bobbed her head. Her skirts and cape spread like wings and fluttered in the slight breeze.

"Your Majesty," she murmured respectfully.

The molten silver eyes of King Roiben set themselves on her bowed head, silver hair and angular nose pointed almost accusingly at her.

"Seer Shaye," he began the ritual in his soft and commanding voice, "It would please us greatly if you would Vision Cast for the success of My Reign and in thus ensuring your loyalty and a place in our Court always."

"Seer Shaye," Roiben continued. "In your Cast I place my future and in your Vision I place my trust. May the stars of Beltane and the ages of time aid your powers. Our future is yours."

Despite the fact that Shaye knew the ritual by heart and knew His Majesty spoke from tradition and not from any of his own emotion, she felt the weight of what she was about to do slide into her throat.

To the King Roiben and the rest of the court this was merely a time honored ritual that occurred every fiftieth Beltane, they didn't understand the magic that surrounded the fire in which she would cast. The pain she was about to endure when a simple cast could have been completed instead of the ridiculously complex one that only worked half the time. Didn't they realize the foolishness? A slight regret of being born into this fate crossed her mind, but she quickly beat it back. Many would die for her position, best to respect it.

But Shaye had stalled long enough, she shrugged back her hood and looked directly into the eyes of the King. Her eyes, the eyes of her trade, showed none of her anxiety. The violet and green irises mingled together with a blankness that would have seemed impossible to attain with such eyes. Shaye's spirit quivered and pulsed with her heart.

Roiben had explained earlier that the ritual that this young girl would perform was complex and difficult, he had never seen it done in the Unseelie Court, but in the Seelie Court it was preformed every five years. As he understood, it was exactly the same in both Courts. It was a Prophecy to ensure the fruitful Reign of the present ruler.

Kind of stupid really, in the last year and a half in the Unseelie Court Kaye knew better ways to see the future then this particular one, Roiben had agreed, but as King he was bound to listen to this new Seer's prediction as custom dictated.

"My Sovereign I thank you for this opportunity to grace you with the gift of my Ancestors, from you I require a sacrifice," Shaye said to the rhythm of the night.

Those words were meaningless the million times she had spoken them before, but now they held all meaning. She pulled the Athame from her belt and held it to him with the sharp tip pointed at the sky. The King moved first, his fist closed over edge of the blade. His hand retracted, a shallow cut welled with crimson colored blood over the fleshy part of his palm, Shaye made identical cuts on both of her palms, when she felt the warm gush of blood pool in her hands she paired her cuts over his cut.

The Royal blood mingled with Seer blood, a slight tingling on Shaye's hand was the only power she felt. If she was doing this correctly then all three wounds would be magically healed, but she refused to check, because it was very important to trust the magic. Not good for her image, worse for the spell.

Now was the hard part, Shaye would have to plunge her hand in the fire, then the fire should change color and become just cool enough to bear for no more then thirty seconds.

In that time Shaye would see the next Reign of the Unseelie Court and then would advise the King accordingly. But first she needed courage to plunge her hand into the flames, she held her breath and did it as quickly as possible. She tasted ash on her tongue and felt it float into her nose, but she knew that if she broke her concentration shecould be consumed by the flames. That was the most dangerous part, staying focused.

The flames grew and turned violet., hints of the green embers gave the appearance of faces and images that she passed on the way to King Roiben. Shaye had a window of twenty seconds left, the blood she used as the magical catalyst had burnt away leaving clear, unblemished palms. When Shaye noticed this she opened her inner eye. Blankness she had practiced for years to attain came to her in a wave. The visions came quickly and flitted across her conscious mind, it wasn't right though.

Shaye wasn't seeing the future now, she was seeing the past. A girl sitting at a human Diner, what she recognized as the Kings Glamour approaching her. A flash of light. The girl, a strong Glamour being ripped off of her, Kaye? Flash. A boy, human, Corny? Flash. Kelpie? Flash. Samhain, the Solitary Faye? Nicnevin dying with screams of agony. Flash. Nephamael, watching Roiben dancing, if you could call it that. Flash. Kaye poisoning Nephamael. Flash. Silarial, leaving with a girl version of Roiben, his sister. With the next flash something changed, the quality of the vision. She saw a baby with wolf eyes, she cried, but no one came to her. Flash. The wolf eyed girl, no more then five, being cared for by faeries. An apple core fell to her feet, she searched for another. Flash. The girl was grown and speaking with Roiben's sister. Something went wrong the wolf eyed girl struck her. Flash Roiben's sister tied to a tree, crying. Flash. Silarial watching Roiben attempt to save his sister and failing. Flash. A dead body, his consort! Kaye.

Shaye wanted to stay in the fire, but she had overstayed already, she wasn't sure if she could control the flames much longer. Shaye tried to force one last image, but the flames began to burn the silver and violet robes and her skin began to sweat heavily under the intense pressure of the flames, she heard a scream of pain, it was only when she fell out of the flames that she realized the scream was from her own throat.

Shaye wasn't hurt physically, but an electric jolt had spread through her entire body, knocking her out of the fire and to the dew soaked grass. Shaye cursed herself silently for prodding into the fates like that, she knew that she had all the pieces she needed.

As she laid in the grass an intense wave of exhaustion overcame her and a blackness threatened to take place of the sky and a few of the concerned Faeries that were stooped over her.

She recognized the King as one of the faces. Shaye wanted to finish the ritual, and opened her mouth to speak, but her jaw wouldn't work properly. Shaye forced out the last bit of the ritual through her insubordinate mouth.

"It's done."

And then her eyes closed. A silver light shone through them and she heard something no subject should hear of her sovereign.

His full name. "Rath Roiben Rye."


	2. Chapter 2

The name echoed off the emptiness of Shaye's subconscious, she couldn't forget it, that silver thread of information. Shaye was amazed by its random appearance and maybe that's why she couldn't wake up from her eternal darkness for three days.

Later one of the caretaker's told Shaye that the King and his consort didn't leave her room for more then a few moments at a time and they had always made sure that the other was in the room when they stepped out.

Shaye thought that they were being extremely generous, wasting their valuable time on a ragtag Seer, but she admitted that she was grateful that they were both were there when she awoke.

It took Shaye a moment to realize that a break in the darkness had emerged she fought for it. Her eyes fluttered open to stare at a dirt ceiling. Soft sheets tangled the girl in her impatience to rise, but a calming breath took care of that.

Shaye sat up in the bed and surveyed the room. Not bad, especially for and underground hospital wing. Clean and sanitary. A quick glance told her she was the only one in here for any medical help. The pixie, Kaye, noticed Shaye sitting up within moments.

"Are you okay can I get you anything?" Kaye asked, plainly concerned. Shaye didn't respond right away, she was preoccupied with a vivid flash back to her dead and mangled corpse, a smell that she hadn't noticed in her vision before reached her nose.

That often happens with visions. You can't use every sense as fast as you can see images. Often smells and sounds show up later, right now Shaye smelt blood and rotting bodies, and something else… fire, but not like last nights which was a vervain fire. Something else burned in the smoke. Shaye shook the vision away quickly and began to answer Kaye.

The word caught in her throat, a lack of water was to blame for that. Shaye pointed to her throat and mimed drinking, Kaye, the bright girl she is, nodded and quickly fetched some water in a tankard . Shaye swallowed it down quickly.

"I'll just have the water thank you," Shaye finally replied. "I need to speak with the King as soon as possible." she added after a moment.

Kaye nodded. "Of course, he should be back any minute."

"It concerns you also."

Part of being an effective seer is the ability to see every little thing that people do or certain aspects to their face or the way they stand. When Shaye told Kaye she was in her vision Kaye was visibly surprised. That was in the face, the raise in the eyebrows, the slight rise of the nose, the opening of the mouth. A slight change in her already green skin and a flutter of her wings. Very big signs that any trained faerie could see, but Shaye's gifts as a seer could detect the vibe of discomfort at the knowledge that she was involved in this big mystery.

Roiben entered the room seconds later. As soon as he saw Shaye was awake he smiled in relief.

"Good, Seer Shaye you are awake. Are you unhurt?" said the King.

"It is not important Your Majesty I-"

"Roiben, please." he said.

"Roiben," she murmured quietly, his name on her lips felt weird, almost dirty since she knew the rest of his name. But, she told herself, he had to know what she had seen in his fire. "When I cast for you I saw-"

Roiben's hand rose and Shaye automatically stopped speaking. "It is not necessary for you to bother on the day you have awoken. Tell me when you have rested and are in a better condition to speak on such matters Seer Shaye."

"It's just Shaye," she said dismissively. "It's about Ethine."

Shock flooded Roiben's mind and expression. Shaye could feel it poor over her, the last vestiges of the ritual, she could read his mind.

Okay, not really well or anything, more emotions and general things than actual thoughts and stuff like that. It comes with blood to blood contact, a neat little trick for parties, but it doesn't last very long.

"The vision I got was… wrong," Shaye said. "I wanted to see your reign, instead I saw parts of your past and parts of a recent future. I saw the two of you in a human dinner, and you Mistress Kaye, a strong Glamour was ripped away from you. A human boy with a Kelpie. Corny? Nicnevin dying, and Nephamael. Then the future, a girl with wolf eyes is with your sister. She lives in the Seelie Court. She isn't a friend to your sister, Sire. I saw her held hostage." I stopped not wanting to mention Kaye's dead body.

Roiben was frowning, most of his shock had forced him into a logical scramble. "Why would she hold her hostage?"

"I suppose that she is looking to cause you pain," Shaye murmured, expecting Roiben to dismiss this as idiocy.

"And she would have something to gain from such a hostage," was his reply. "I'd give up anything..."

"Roiben," Kaye said. "I won't let anything like that happen."

"Nor would I," Shaye said. "The question 'why' we can worry about later. The question 'when' I think is more important."

"Indeed," Roiben said shaking himself out of his funk. "is there anything more you can tell us, it is imperative that Kaye and I move quickly."

"Not much on the vision time wise," Shaye told him. "But I want to come with you I can help. Maybe I will pick up some visions on the way."

"I don't want you to be in danger for my sake..." Roiben said.

"I won't be, and I won't be in the way either. An extra eye can't hurt can it?"

"Alright," he said, doubtfully.

"And Sire," Shaye said as he turned away.

"Yes?" Molten silver eyes met my violet ones.

"I was told something after I was thrown from the fire," I said. "Something you should know."

His curiosity was peaked. "What?"

She murmured incoherently, fearful of the response.

"Excuse me?"

"Your name Sire," Shaye said. "Your full name."

Silence enslaved the air for almost a full minute.

"Wha-" said Kaye who found her voice.

"The fates told me for a reason…" Shaye said. "I don't plan to use it or anything. I can't really control what I see in the fire." She babbled on for a moment with worry for the reaction.

"Why?" was all that the King asked.

"I wish I knew my Lord."

"I can see my name in less capable hands," Roiben said with a heavy sigh. Shaye smiled gratefully.

"Well then lets get going," she said with a renewed zeal. "I believe the expression is 'time is of the essence!'" Shaye swung her feet from the bed and they touched the stone floor with a shock. Pulling herself upward she experienced a momentary triumph at her success in standing before it all came crashing down, starting with her knees.

Kaye tried very hard not to laugh and Roiben looked amused, but avoided any actual displays of it as tactfully as a King.

"Okay," Shaye said, attempting to scrape up some of her dignity. "We can go as soon as I remember how to walk." she stood again, determined. This time she did not fall. It was time for the real adventure to begin.


	3. Chapter 3

_Ok so to tell you all the truth I had almost given up on this story, and I should be working on sooo many others but you lovely reviewers as always have encouraged my continued work on my story, so keep reviewing._

_Sorry about all the craziness, I know I switch from like third to first person and I keep switching Shea and Shay, and not to mention all that grammar stuff. I'll keep that to a minimum as I continue, Okay now that that's settled onward with individual reviewer stuff!_

_Mousewolf: Thanks, sure_

_The Ninja who wanted to be...: Thanks, okay_

_crystalsprings: Thank you, not a problem_

_Midnight-Moonlight: Thanks Silently hopes that you mean her story and not just Tithe which is obviously awesome. _

_Lady Delerith: Thank you, I tried. Okay well for this Is the seer old question you have to jump into my head a little bit cause its a tad complicated. The seer is both young and old because she has the wisdom of her ancestors and a preternatural logic that only comes with living a long life, but she is actually about 16 or 17. Does that make sense? I'm never sure if people can get what I am blabbering on about. And to tell you the truth I dunno if I am gonna kill off Kaye or not... don't tempt Fate my Lady._

_Okay now thats thats taken care of Keep reviewing and enjoy the next installment of, **Tithe II: the Seer.**_

The grove smelt distinctly of apples. Trees were blooming and swaying in a gentle breeze. Shaye had mixed feelings about this place. Sure everything was perfect, blissful, but underlying that exterior something lurked, silently, beneath the greens of spring. And it wasn't even that Shaye had any particular loyalty to the Unseelie Court as opposed to the Seelie. That wasn't it at all, as a Seer Shaye had learned to trust people and not courts. Her Seer instincts pulsed with magnified hatred. It annoyed her senses.

It was a good thing that Roiben and Kaye let her accompany them. Shaye surely saw things that they did not.

Manners dictated that Kaye and Roiben had to wait for an audience with Silarial, Shaye peered at the faeries who danced and ate and drank to the music of the trees. The intense rush of music and the stench of rich apples began to sicken her. She wasn't sure why until she stole a glance at Roiben. He was repeatedly rubbing and snuffing at his nose. Shaye knew she had pried enough, but she couldn't resist just know a litte more.

Shaye tugged her belt pouch open and found her Bright Eye powder. Discreetly she put just a pinch on her tongue and spread some over her eyelids. The powder shimmered a bright red as the Seer's raw magick quickly activated the powders own hidden power. Not for the final and trickiest part. She needed something of Roiben's, something real.

Shaye scrutinized the back of her sovereign. A sudden well of pure love exploded into her gut. What was that? Shaye wondered. That was new and... oh. Shaye smiled in realization.

She still could feel Roiben's emotions. And this one was powerful. The ignition of this emotion became evident when Shaye saw Kaye's hand move across Roiben's back. It provided just the opportunity Shaye needed as Kaye's long fingered joints tangled themselves in the shimmering pewter locks. Strands of which floated lazily toward her. She swept them up into her spells web.

As she weaved her magick, her eyesight blackened. And a vague pain swept across her being, physical and mental. Her inner eye swept across the vision she was experiencing, Shaye examined the hands of a tree spirit. The tree spirit had refused to grant the Unseelie Court her gift of seeing the future. This was before Roiben had gained the throne. No Roiben was a knight in the service of the former queen Nicnevin.

Shaye felt another sharp pain course through her body as the Knight Roiben struck the tree woman with his sword.

Sticky sap ran down like blood onto the tree womans, legs and arms. Roiben was speaking, but Shaye couldn't hear him. The torture of the tree woman went on for many slashes. Shaye flinched and twisted in sympathy with every stroke. Knowing that her own pain was mild compared to that of the tree woman. Shaye felt a tear run down her cheek as the tree woman in her vision said, "It is you who are dying."

As the vision faded and the tree woman fell to the cold and forgiving earth Shaye smelt the sap of the tree woman. And the last of her leaves and fruit. Apple. It sickened her as she imagined it must have sickened

Roiben.

Shaye's eyesight returned. Kaye and Roiben had not noticed anything odd, but now that Shaye had seen this sad event she had no desire to be in the company of the Seelie revelers. She carefully hid her anxiousness to depart the grove beneath her years of Seer training. She remembered Anga, her mentor and fellow Seer, saying that presentation was everything for a Seer when she taught her how to hide what she thought and felt from her face.

By now Shaye was ready to do away with manners and just find the wolf eyed child and be done with it all, but she was aware that this little entrance they were about to make was going to be very important in Faery diplomacy.

"She will see you now," said a page, in green and gold livery, who was half fox, half faery.

The three Unseelie outsiders followed him, Roiben stood before the Queen while Kaye and Shaye curtsied, Kaye's curtsy was a bit ruder and not as low as her station demanded whether Kaye did this out of ignorance or spite Shaye did not try to guess, but Silarial only sneered slightly and brushed it away from her thoughts.

Her composure regained, the Queen spoke. "To what do I owe this... pleasure... Roiben."

Shaye didn't know the whole story, but she was plainly shocked at the informal manner that the Queen was displaying. Surely Roiben deserved to be treated with respect? Or else the already feeble treaty might be threatened.

Kaye must have been thinking along the same lines because she clearly said, "His Majesty." with a look of hate radiating from her face. Roiben put a hand on her shoulder. It was a brief touch, but it calmed her.

Silarail, it seemed, was completely ignoring Kaye.

Months ago while Shaye was in mandatory Seer seclusion a truce was forged between the two courts. The original tithe over the solitary fey had been broken and although the two courts had their own disagreements the were forced to join forces to stop a common threat. A rebel faery group had attacked both courts without rhyme or reason.

Although most of the fighting was over with, the truce was still being held up as a precaution. Shaye had no information whatsoever on the personal battles between the heads of the two courts.

"Your majesty, Silarail, I trust you are well?" Roiben said, with the most polite voice her had. The queen merely nodded in agreement. "I am glad. I do wish to speak with my sister, your Majesty. It is a matter of urgency so I know you will excuse my rush to speak to her."

The queens eyebrows rose "How I wish I could grant your request, but Ethine is not here with my court."

Shaye could feel Roiben's face contort into greif, surprise and rage, She hoped that Kaye could soothe him without any words being spoken, Shaye saw what the other two had not. And now she could prove that it would be worth it to include her in this adventure.


End file.
